The Navy Section Base site was acquired through a grant deed (26 February 1942) from the city of Santa Barbara and three resolutions (Resolution 1705 dated 19 February 1942, Resolution
1722 dated 2 June 1942, and Resolution 1737 dated 2 July 1942) by the Santa Barbara city council. The grant deed provided for 0.918 acres and Resolutions 1705, 1722, and 1737 added by lease 0.89 acres, 0.78 acres, and 0.80 acres, respectively, for a total of 3.388 acres. Resolution 1729 dated 11 June 1942 and adopted by the council of the city of Santa Barbara allowed use by the U.S. Navy of facilities owned by Union oil of California located on land leased under Resolution 1722 (0.78 acres) at the breakwater at Santa Barbara, for the duration of the war, or for so long as the facilities were required by the U.S. Navy.
In 1938, the site was originally started as a Naval Reserve Armory. On 7 July 1942, the Navy section Base, Santa Barbara, California was placed in commission. Use of this site was granted on condition that the premises would be restored to their original condition upon cessation of the Government's use. In 1944, it became Navy section Base Santa Barbara, California, Eleventh Naval
District San Diego, California. The original interior arrangements' were modified to suit such requirements as storage, barracks, messing facilities, dispensary, administration and communications. In 1945, it was designated the Naval Maintenance Depot Santa Barbara, California, Eleventh Naval District San Diego, California. Resolution 1735 dated 25 June 1942 adopted by the Council of the City of Santa Barbara authorized the use by the U.S. Navy of facilities for. fuel storage and handling.
government. The Government determined that it was in its best interest to perform its restoration obligation by delivering to the city title to certain improvements on the premises which were no longer required by the Government. The city discharged the federal government "from any and all manner of actions, liability, and claims for the restoration of the property." Following return of leased lands under Resolutions 1705, 1722, and 1737 in 1947, the remaining facility.became the existing Naval Reserve Center.
Site History: The Naval Reserve Armory, .also known as Naval Magazine, was originally started by the City of Santa Barbara in 1938 under a Work Projects Administration (WPA) grant. The Navy took over the construction of the unfinished armory in 1942, when the City deeded the site to the federal government. Resolutions 1705, 1722, and 1737 added additional leased acreage to the north, south, and west of the Naval Magazine. The aggregate site became section Base Santa Barbara of the Eleventh Naval District on 7 July 1942, and the Naval Maintenance Depot on 30 September 1944.
During this period, 17 buildings were erected, of which only four remain today. The Naval Reserve Armory is now the Naval Reserve Center. The Carpenter/Machine Shop was later used by·the U.S. Coast Guard and is now used by various businesses and the City's Waterfront personnel. The Boatswain locker is now Carter's. The Receiving building and the walk-in refrigerator are combined as a Cafe. A fifth building, which was the Provision Storage Building, was used as an auxiliary facility by the Coast Guard until it burned down about three months ago.
